From the depths of a London slum, Amanda Granger created an illusion of wealth and breeding that became her passport into New York society. With her dazzling beauty and the ease with which she lived her lie, Amanda captivated an adoring public and drove men to bold and dangerous passions.

But for all her fierce ambition, all her daring dreams, Amanda Granger knew that her heart’s desires were held together by the fragile threads of deception and secrets. Triumph would always be elusive until she escaped from her web of deceit.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE, PART IV“I’ve had a dreadful night. Now I’m to have a dreadful day.”“What are you talking about?” Amanda asked as she opened the thick lace draperies and let the morning sun wash the room in a pink-gold glow. “You should be happy. It’s your debut, all your friends will be there, you’ll get to wear your beautiful new gown. What could be better?”Eloise picked up the mirror and again did not comment on the box Amanda had brought.“I’m supposed to be in my prime. How will I find a husband, a proper husband, if it hasn’t happened yet?”“It?” Amanda asked coming over to look into the mirror with Eloise.“Beauty, womanhood, whatever it is. I don’t understand. I’ve waited all this time. I have my father’s blond hair and blue eyes, my mother’s alabaster skin, and my grandmother’s aristocratic nose. Somehow, it’s not put together correctly.”“What a terrible thing to say of yourself. Why, you’re everything a real English lady should be!”“You think so?”Amanda nodded firmly. “You just need more confidence.” She handed her the box. Eloise pulled out the ribbons.“They’re supposed to be pink! Pink, Amanda!” Eloise tossed the covers aside, nearly knocking the teapot over. Where once she’d been friendly and intimate with Amanda, now she turned on her. It was a scene that had been occurring more and more frequently over the past year.Amanda quickly grabbed the hairbrush from the vanity table, took Eloise’s arm, and pushed her—gently-----to the stool. Amanda brushed Eloise’s long, thick, wavy hair to one side. She laced a piece of ribbon around a hank of hair, wove and twisted it until she’d created a masterpiece.“Blue, Eloise. Never pink,” was all she said.Eloise stared at her reflection. The two tiny blue plates that looked back at her, out of a face seemingly devoid of bone structure, brightened and gleamed.Amanda took the gloves and pushed them onto Eloise’s hands.“Every time you lift your hand to your face—the color of your eyes intensifies.”Eloise tried it. It was true. Her colorless skin blushed pink as the blue shadow of the glove passed over her cheek, played with a tendril of hair, patted her lip.

Catherine Lanigan is the international bestselling and award-winning author of forty published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, as well as over half a dozen anthologies, including “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living your Dream”, “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”, and more. Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into dozens of languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese. Ms. Lanigan’s novels are also available in E-books on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, Apple Store, Mobi and Kobo. Several of her titles have been chosen for The Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Her Vietnam war-based novel, The Christmas Star, won the Gold Medal Award Top Pick from Romantic Times Magazine and has also won Book of the Year Romance Gold Award from ForeWord Magazine as well as Book of the Year Romance from Reader’s Preference.

Lanigan is the author of a trilogy of non- fiction books regarding angelic intervention in human life: Angel Watch, Divine Nudges and Angel Tales published by HCI and Cedar Fort.

Skyhorse published Lanigan’s “how-to” book on writing: Writing the Great American Romance Novel.

Lanigan was tasked by the NotMYkid Foundation to write a non-fiction book addressing teen addictions. Ms. Lanigan’s first Young Adult adventure novel, The Adventures of Lillie and Zane: The Golden Flute, was published by Cedar Fort.

Currently, she has published six novels in the Shores of Indian Lake series for Harlequin Heartwarming: Love Shadows, Heart’s Desire, A Fine Year for Love, Katia’s Promise and Fear of Falling. Sophie’s Path pubs July, 2016. She has recently contracted for three more in the series: Danger Zone, Wedding for Isabelle and A Bride for Mica.

As a cancer survivor, Ms. Lanigan is a frequent speaker at literary functions and book conventions as well as inspiring audiences with her real stories of angelic intervention from her Angel Tales series of books. She is an outspoken advocate for domestic violence and abuse and was honored by The National Domestic Violence Hotline in Washington, D.C. (THE EVOLVING WOMAN). She has been a guest on numerous radio programs including “Coast to Coast” and on television interview and talk show programs as well as blogs, podcasts and online radio interview programs.